Four Gaint Mysterious Craters Found In Russia

Four new mysterious giant craters have appeared in the Siberian permafrost in northern Russia, sparking fears that global warming may be causing gas to erupt from underground.
Scientists spotted the new holes, along with dozens of other smaller ones, in the same area as three other enormous craters that were spotted on the Yamal Peninsula last year.
The craters are thought to be caused by eruptions of methane gas from the permafrost as rising rising temperatures causes the frozen soil to melt.

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Explosion? This crater (named B3) was spotted near to Antipayuta in the Yamal Peninsula after locals saw a flash of light nearby

This map shows the location of the new craters (labelled B1-4) along with the previously discovered holes marked with black dots

The top satellite image shows an
accumulation of ice beneath the surface, known as a pingo, while a more
recent image shows a lake has formed in a crater scientists have called
B2, surrounded by smaller holes

Abyss: This crater, called B1, was first spotted 18 miles (30 km) from the Bovanenkovo by passing helicopter pilots

Simmering: Methane gas can be seen bubbling up out of this lake in the Yamal region and is thought to be an old crater

Experts
are particularly interested in a crater they have named B2, which just
six miles to the south of the Gazprom gas field at Bovanenkovo.

Old
satellite imagery shows no sign of craters at the site but more recent
images show there is now a lake there measuring about 5,000 square
metres.

The
lake is thought to have formed in a hole that is 100 metres by 50
metres in diametre and is surrounded by 20 smaller holes filled with
water that are around one to two metres wide.

Residents living near to another of the craters, close to Antipayuta on the Yamal Peninsula, reported seeing a flash of light.

This has led some to conclude that it was the result of gas trapped in the permafrost exploding.

Professor
Bogoyavlensky said: ‘We need to answer now the basic questions: what
areas, and under what conditions, are the most dangerous?

Last year scientists took a closer look at one of the older craters by climbing 54 feet down its frozen sides

When this crater was discovered in 2014, theories ranged from a man-made hoax, to aliens or a meteorite

‘These questions are important for the safe operation of the northern cities and infrastructure of oil and gas complexes.’

There
is already scientific concern that Lake Baikal, the largest and oldest
freshwater lake in the world, but well outside the Arctic Circle, could
be at risk of similar gas explosions.

Scientists
have previously said there is growing evidence that rising temperatures
in the region could be the main catalyst triggering the blasts.

It is thought permafrost at the sites could have one million times more methane hydrates locked inside than ordinary gas. 

One expert estimated that the total explosive power of the craters has been the equivalent of about 11 tonnes of TNT.

Scientists are attempting to visit all of the craters, like above, to better understand how they were formed

In the winter the sides of the craters freeze, like above, making it easier for scientists to take samples

There
are also two tectonic fault lines across the Yamal Peninsula, with
another possibility being that the blow-outs are caused by a deadly
combination of heat leaving these rifts, a higher than normal air
temperature, and the ‘fire ice’ melting.

Professor Bogoyavlensky revealed one picture of a Yamal lake showing signs of what he calls ‘degassing’.

‘This
haze that you see on the surface shows gas seeps from the bottom of the
lake to the surface,’ he said. ‘We call this process ‘degassing’.’

He is not sure if this lake, too, was previously a crater ‘or if the lake formed from another process.

‘More important is that the gases from within are actively seeping through this lake.’

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